Tracy Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort

Tracy Louise Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort (born 22 December 1958) is a British Duchess, environmental activist and former actress. She is widely known as Tracy Worcester, her name before 2017.

Life and work

Born in Kensington, Tracy Louise Ward is a daughter of The Hon. Peter Alistair Ward, a younger son of William Ward, 3rd Earl of Dudley, who became chairman of the family business, Baggeridge Brick, and his first wife, Clare Leonora Baring, the only child of the gentleman cricketer Giles Baring. She is the sister of the actress Rachel Ward and also has one brother and two half-brothers. Her great-grandfather, the 2nd Earl of Dudley, was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the early 20th century, and then Governor-General of Australia. He was the son of Georgina, Countess of Dudley.[1]

Tracy Ward grew up on her father's estate at Cornwell, Oxfordshire. After gaining three 'A'-levels, she went to Paris as a model, and then to work at Christie's in London, before working in art galleries in New York City. In her early twenties, she trained for an acting career at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, London, and the London Drama School.

As an actress, she is best remembered for her role as Tessa Robinson in the television detective series C.A.T.S. Eyes (1986–1987). She also played the first Miss Scarlett in the television drama game show Cluedo (1990); and appeared in the Doctor Who serial Timelash (1985). Her theatre credits include: Our Day Out (Nottingham Playhouse) and Intimacy (Cafe Theatre).

On 13 June 1987, she married Henry, Marquess of Worcester, known to his friends as Bunter Worcester, son and heir of David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort. They were divorced in 2018.

He was a farmer and chartered surveyor who later succeeded his father as 12th Duke of Beaufort. Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, both attended the wedding. They have three children:

  • Robert, Marquess of Worcester (1989)
  • Lady Isabella Somerset (1991)
  • Lord Alexander Somerset (1995)

Campaigner

In 1989, Tracy Worcester began working with Friends of the Earth. Since then, she has been active in green politics as Associate Director of the International Society for Ecology and Culture, a trustee of The Gaia Foundation, the Trustee of The Schumacher Society and the Bath Environment Centre, on the Council of the UK's Soil Association, and a member of the International Forum on Globalisation. She was a member of the Referendum Party, opposed Britain's involvement in the European Union.

She produced a documentary film called Pig Business, highlighting the environmental and health impacts of the intensive factory farming of low quality pork.[2]

Since 1989, Tracy has been networking, fund raising, writing, making documentaries and public speaking to promote a more local food economy. Her feature length films include Is Small Still Beautiful in India, The Politics of Happiness in Bhutan. Most recently, she produced a documentary film called Pig Business, highlighting the environmental and health impacts of the intensive factory farming of low quality pork.[2]

Recently she founded and directs the campaign organisation, Farms not Factories, that makes films and online content to show the true cost of cheap pork and urge viewers to only buy meat with a high welfare label. In May 2016, she launched a celebrity-led video and poster campaign for social media called #TurnYourNoseUp. In August 2016, the Mail On Sunday covered Tracy going undercover to expose illegal practices in the UK pig industry.  In June 2017 she launched the Rooting For Real Farms series of short films for social media that involved top chefs like Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall, Mark Hix and foodies like Amelia Freer.

She backed Julian Assange by pledging bail in December 2010: she lost the money in June 2012 when a judge ordered it to be forfeited, as Assange had sought to escape the jurisdiction of the English courts by entering the embassy of Ecuador.[3]

In 2013, she was signatory to a campaign for women to be able to inherit all peerages and entailed estates.[4]

During the campaign for the 2015 general election, she was one of several public figures who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.[5]

Ancestry

References

  1. ↑ Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 1191. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  2. 1 2 https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/may/29/pig-business-documentary-legal-threat
  3. ↑ Daily Mail, 4 September 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Gender equality for peeresses". The Daily Telegraph.
  5. ↑ Elgot, Jessica (24 April 2015). "Celebrities sign statement of support for Caroline Lucas – but not the Greens". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
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